Tait collection: item 45 of 62 This is a document giving details of the Letters of Administration following the death of Jessie Wall (nee Wood) who died intestate in Warrnambool in 1897 at the age of 53. She lived in the area in north Warrnambool known as Spring Gardens and left real estate to the value of £400 and personal estate to the value of £484. The estate was granted to her husband, Joseph Wall. The lawyer concerned with this document, Ernest Chambers, had legal offices in Port Fairy, Koroit and Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. He was in possession of this document and it was passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street. It was located in this building in 2014.This document is of some significance as it contains details of the Letters of Administration of Jessie Wall who was a 19th century resident of Warrnambool. Her husband’s father was an important early settler in Warrnambool. The document will be useful to researchers.This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two with handwritten material on two pages (brownish-black ink). One of the pages has hand-ruled black lines on the edges of the page. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there is also a red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is a little stained but the writing is legible. The document gives details of the Letters of Administration following the death of Jessie Wall of Warrnambool who died in November 1897.In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Jessie Maria Wall late of Spring Gardens near Warrnambool in the Colony of Victoria Married Woman deceased Intestatejessie wall, ernest chambers, warrnambool, tait collection, spring gardens

No information is available on George Murray except that he was a Melbourne accountant and died intestate in 1885. He left property to the value of £91 and the lawyer, Ernest Chambers, who was at that time at 12 Chancery Lane, Melbourne, was directed to list the creditors of George Murray and distribute the estate accordingly. Mr Chambers was one of George Murray’s creditors. Ernest Chambers later had a legal practice with offices at Warrnambool, Koroit and Port Fairy with the known dates 1897 to 1910. Thomas Goodall was the manager of the Warrnambool office and he was the one who had this document in his possession at that time and it was passed down to succeeding lawyers in the Kepler Street building. Tait collection: item 7 of 62This document is of interest in that it was originally issued by the lawyer Ernest Chambers who later had an office in Warrnambool. This is a piece of parchment containing the 1885 Letters of Administration in the estate of George Murray, a Melbourne accountant. The document is white with black ruled lines and has handwritten material in black ink. The document is folded at the lower edge with a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria. The seal is attached to the document by a green ribbon. There is also a blue stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is in good condition apart from some minor staining. ‘In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria in its probate jurisdiction, in the Estate of George Murray, late of Melbourne in the Colony of Victoria, accountant, deceased intestate, Letters of Administration, I certify that no duty is payable on the within Letters of Administration, John W. … (office under section 6), 15/6/85’. george murray, ernest chambers, warrnambool

Tait collection: item 34 of 62 This is a document giving the details of the Letters of Administration following the death of Helen Robertson, a spinster from St. Kilda, Melbourne. She died intestate in November 1881 and left property to the value of £363. This property reverted to her sister Agnes Thomson in 1889. No other details have been found on Helen Robertson. The lawyer in the case was George Skinner of Melbourne but the document was one of several stored in legal premises in Kepler Street, Warrnambool and passed on to successive lawyers occupying these premises. It was located in the same building, the former premises of the legal firm, Mackay Taylor, in 2014 and handed over to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society.This document is of minor interest as one located in former legal premises in Warrnambool but no other connection has been found between Warrnambool and the person whose details are in the document, Helen RobertsonThis is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded at the bottom edge and containing hand written material on both sides of the paper. The contents give details of the Letters of Administration following the death of Helen Robertson in 1881. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon. The document is somewhat stained.In the Supreme Court of the colony of Victoria in its Probate Jurisdiction in the Estate of Helen Robertson late of Acland Street Saint Kilda near Melbourne in the Colony of Victoria Spinster deceased intestate Letters of Administrationhelen robertson, george skinner

Tait collection: item 18 of 62 This document contains information on the Probate papers of James Evenett, a fellmonger from Warrnambool. He died in September 1898. James Evenett had a fellmongery on the Merri River, commencing business about 1869 and continuing in to the 1890s. In the 1880s his woolscouring works employed four people and this increased to ten at the busy times. He purchased sheepskins from the neighbouring farms and sent the wool to England with the skins being used in the Merri River tannery works. He left real estate property to the value of £686 and personal estate to the value of £200. The three executors were William Ponting, James Harman and his wife Mary Evenett. These probate papers relate to James Evenett, a fellmonger from Warrnambool.This is an 1898 document containing the Probate papers of James Evenett. The paper has been folded in two with handwritten material on four sides. There is a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria attached with a green ribbon and a red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The writing in brown ink is legible but the paper is somewhat stained in places. probate papers, james evenett, tait collection, ernest chambers

Tait collection: item 37 of 62 This is a document giving details of the Will and Probate of Caroline Manton who died in 1889 and was the wife of Frederick Manton and lived at ‘Tenilba’ in Domain Street, South Yarra. She left personal estate to the value of £536 for the benefit of her husband and children but no other details on her life have been found. The lawyer in the case was Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Port Fairy, Koroit and Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This document was in his possession in his Warrnambool office and it was passed down to successive lawyers in the legal premises in Kepler Street, Warrnambool and located in 2014 in the same building, the former legal premises of Mackay Taylor. This document is of minor interest as it does not appear to have any relevance to local Warrnambool history except that the lawyer involved had legal offices in Warrnambool.This is a cream-coloured parchment paper of three pages stitched together with black cord. There is handwritten material written in brown-coloured ink on five pages. The seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with black ribbon. The ink on the front page is fading and difficult to read.caroline manton, ernest chambers, tait collection

Tait collection: item 44 of 62 This document gives details of the Will and Probate of William McJannet, a Warrnambool carpenter who died in 1898 at the age of 80. He and his wife and two of his children came to Australia from Scotland in the 1850s and at the time of his death he was living in Raglan Parade. He left real estate to the value of £400 and the beneficiaries were his children. The lawyer concerned with this document, H. Parrington, had legal offices in Kepler Street with the firm known as Higgins and Parrington but Mr Parrington was in partnership with Mr J.Tait when this document was drawn up. The document has been passed down to successive lawyers occupying the Kepler Street premises and located in this building in 2014. This document is of some importance as William McJannet was a well-known resident of Warrnambool in the 19th century. The document will be useful to researchers. This is a piece of white paper folded in two with printed red lines on the edges of three of the pages. Three pages have typed material and one page has handwritten material in black ink. It gives details of the Will and Probate of William McJannet who died in 1898. In the Supreme Court of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will and Codicil of William McJannet late of Warrnambool Victoria Carpenter deceasedwilliam mcjannet, h.r.parrington, warrnambool, tait collection

Double or exposure containing an AEC Railmotor (with tiger stripes on front) and 4-wheel trailer used on branch lines. Where the strips appear to curve down is a sun visor over the windscreen of the railmotor. The image is double exposed with a E-class 2-4-2 steam locomotive and Tait train on display adjacent "V.R. Cavalcade" Centenary 1854-1954 Exhibition (11-25 Sep 1954) presented a model railway occupying about 1,400 square feet in the Lower Town Hall featuring a number of model railway working scale models. The exhibition also included a display of rolling stock, track, electrical and other railway equipment held at Spencer Street Railway Station.Digital TIFF file Scan of Kopdak 620 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, display, spencer street railway station, v.r. cavalcade, victorian railways centenary 1854-1954 exhibition, aec railmotor

Warrnambool Cordials was one of a number of cordial and aerated Waters Manufacturers who operated in Warrnambool from about 1859 until the 1980’s. Warrnambool Cordials was commenced in the early 1920’s by two brothers, Joseph and James Lescai. James operated a fruit shop in Fairy Street and Joseph as an industrial chemist made his own cordials which became very popular. Soon a company was formed with four local businessmen, J S Tait, Chas McMeekin, G Cinquegrana and John Gleeson who took over the company around the 1930’s. Warrnambool Cordials was then purchased by the Flett brothers around 1942. It was then sold in the 1960’s to Thomas McKenzie who traded as McKenzie Cordials. Warrnambool Cordials were one of a number of cordial manufacturers who operated in Warrnambool from the late 19th century until late 20th century. Two clear glass cylindrical bottles with 12 lines and indentations within formation of glass. It is topped with plastic spout which has two metal rims at bottom . Warrnambool Cordial Co. surrounds stylized logo “W” topped with small “C” and encased in large “C.” Small print.” British Syphon Co Ltd London. Warrnambool Soda Water in rectangle on back.: warrnambool, warrnambool cordials, lescai, joseph lescai, james lescai, flett mckenzie cordials.

Rev. Francis Robert Muter Wilson was born in 1832 near Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He entered Edinburgh University in 1848 and started theological studies in 1852 at New College Edinburgh. He completed theological studies in 1856 and arrived in Melbourne in September 1857. He briefly preached to a small congregation at Brighton, and then early in 1858 he supplied the pulpit of Dr. McKay in Sydney. Later in 1858 he received a call to Camperdown and was ordained there in December 1858. Married Lillie Tait in Geelong in April 1861. Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria in 1875. Called to Kew in 1877 and served there until he was demitted in 1898. Convenor of the Business Committee of Assembly. Died June 9 1903.B & W head and shoulders studio portrait of Rev Francis Robert M. Wilson, printed on buff card.Rev. F.R.M. Wilson 1876 - 1897francis robert muter wilson, presbyterian, minister, edinburgh, kew, moderator

Tait collection: item 46 of 62 This is a document giving details of the Will and Probate of Miles Staunton (called Miles Stanton in the Will and Myles Staunton in the official Victorian death records). He died at Tower Hill in 1898 at the age of 72. He was a farmer in the Koroit district and left real estate to the value of £2799 and personal estate to the value of £128. The chief beneficiaries were his wife and children. Miles Stanton was unable to write and signed his will with a cross. The lawyers involved, Fletcher and Mackay and Ernest Chambers, had legal offices in Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century. The document, with others, was passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler street (Fletcher and Mackay, later Mackay Taylor) and located in this building in 2014. This document is of some interest as it gives details of the Will and Probate of Miles Staunton who was a 19th century farmer in the Koroit district.This is a white piece of paper folded in two to make four pages. Three of the pages have ruled margins in red and there is handwritten material on four pages in black ink. There is no proper seal attached but there is a hand-drawn circular sketch representing the seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria. The document contains information on the Will and Probate of Miles Staunton of Koroit who died in 1898.In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Miles Staunton in the Will named Miles Stanton late of Koroit in the Colony of Victoria farmer deceasedmiles staunton, ernest chambers, fletcher and mackay, warrnambool, tait collection

Tait collection: item 57 of 62 This document gives details of the Will and Probate of Thomas Sleeman, a Nirranda farmer. He died in 1900 at the age of 85 and left real estate to the value of £600. The main beneficiaries were his sons and £30 was left to Mary Le Couteur, his daughter. He also bequeathed to the Wesleyan Church the half acre of land that the church was on at that time (presumably in the Nirranda district). The document has been drawn up by the law firm of O’Mahony and Murray which operated in Warrnambool early in the 20th century. The document has been passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street and located there in 2014 in the same building, the premises last occupied by the law firm of Mackay Taylor. This document is of some interest as it gives details of the Will and Probate of Thomas Sleeman, a farmer from Nirranda.This is a piece of white paper folded in two to make four pages. Three of the pages are ruled with blue lines and have margins ruled in blue. There is handwritten material on three pages. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there are nine red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court and one purple stamp of the Savings Bank (Head Office). The document is a little stained and the writing is fading but legible. The document gives details of the Will and Probate of the Nirranda farmer, Thomas Sleeman who died in September 1900. In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria in its Probate Jurisdiction in the Will and Codicil of Thomas Sleeman late of Naranda in the County of Heytesbury in the Colony of Victoria farmer deceased.o’mahony and murray, warrnambool lawyers, thomas sleeman, warrnambool history, tait collection, nirranda

Tait collection: item 19 of 62 This is an 1899 document giving Will and Probate details of William Cox who died in Warrnambool in March 1899. He was a farmer residing in Moore Street Warrnambool at the time of his death at the age of 83. He left real estate to the value of £425 and personal estate to the value of £412 to Gwenllian Williams who may have been his sister or niece. A Mr and Mrs Williams were also living in the Moore Street house at the time of Cox’s death. His executors were Thomas Goodall, a law clerk who managed the office of the lawyer Ernest Chambers in Warrnambool and John Ward, a pioneer settler in Warrnambool and a shopkeeper in Jamieson Street in 1899. No other details are available on William Cox. This is an interesting document as it gives details of the Will and Probate belonging to a local Warrnambool person, William Cox. The lawyer dealing with the document was Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This document has been passed on to successive lawyers occupying legal chambers in the Kepler Street building and that is where the document was held until passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society in 2014.This is an 1899 piece of parchment paper folded in two with handwritten material on three sides of the paper. The seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria is attached with blue ribbon and there are two stamps, one blue one of the Colonial Bank in Warrnambool and the other a red one of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court in Melbourne. Two of the pages have ruled black lines. The writing is very clear but the pages are a little stained.In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In its Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of William Cox late of Warrnambool in the Colony of Victoria farmer deceased; Probate; I certify there is no duty payable on this probate (signature) Officer under Section 96 of act No 106; E J W Chambers Warrnambool Proctors for the Executorswilliam cox, ernest chambers, john ward, thomas goodall, tait collection

Tait collection: item 20 of 62 This 1900 document gives details on the Will and Probate of William Bickle, described as a ‘Gentleman’, who died in April 1900. He left real estate to the value of £240 and personal estate to the value of £286. His wife Jane received the income from these assets during her lifetime and on her death the estate went to Bickle’s nephew and niece. The executors were John Warren, a painter of Jamieson Street, Warrnambool and Thomas Goodall, a law clerk of Warrnambool. No other details are available on William Bickle. Thomas Goodall was the manager of the law office of Ernest Chambers in Warrnambool. Chambers had offices in Port Fairy, Koroit and Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This document is of interest because it contains information on the Will and Probate of William Bickle, a Warrnambool resident at the time of his death. The document was in the possession of the lawyer, Ernest Chambers and has been passed down to successive lawyers occupying the Kepler Street building. It was then passed on in 2014 to be part of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society collection.This is a 1900 piece of parchment paper folded in two with handwritten material on three sides. The seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there are two stamps, one a red one of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court, Melbourne and the other a blue one of the Savings Bank, Warrnambool. The handwriting is highly legible.william bickle, ernest chambers, tait collection, john warren

Tait collection: item 23 of 62 This paper contains details of the Will and Probate papers of John Joseph Flahavin who died in December 1902. He was a farmer at Kirkstall but no further details on him have been found. He left real estate to the value of £100 and personal estate to the value of £5 to his wife Margaret Flahavin. She died in the June of the following year before her husband’s will had been finalized. The lawyer in the case, Ernest Chambers, had legal offices in Warrnambool. Port Fairy and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This document in his possession passed to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street and were located there in 2014 and passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. This document is of some interest as it concerns a Kirkstall resident in the early 1900s. It will be useful to researchers.This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two (1903). It has handwritten material on three sides of the paper. There is a seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria attached with a green ribbon and there are three purple stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The paper is somewhat stained and the writing is faded but legible. In the Supreme Court of Victoria; Probate Jurisdiction; In the Will of John Joseph Flahavin late of Kirkstall in the State of Victoria Farmer deceasedjohn flahavin, ernest chambers, warrnambool, kirkstall, tait collection

Tait collection: item 30 of 62 This document contains information on the Letters of Administration of Ann Doran of Port Fairy Road, Warrnambool. She died in December 1889 but, as she died intestate, the Letters of Administration were not processed until 1911. Ann Doran left no real estate but left personal estate to the value of £116. The sole beneficiary was her daughter, Jane Doran. The lawyer in the case was Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Port Fairy, Warrnambool and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. He had this document in his possession and it was passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street. It was located in this building in 2014 and passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society at that time. This document is of some interest as it contains information on the Letters of Administration of Ann Doran who lived in Warrnambool at the time of her death in 1889. It will be of use to researchers. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two with handwritten material on two sides. One page has ruled black lines. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there are four red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. One page is somewhat stained.In the Supreme Court of Victoria; In the Probate Jurisdiction; In the Estate of Ann Doran late of Port Fairy Road Warrnambool in the State of Victoria married woman deceased intestate. Letters of Administration.ann doran, ernest chambers, warrnambool

Tait collection: item 43 of 62 This is a document giving details of the Letters of Administration of John Moloney, a farmer from Bushfield, who died in July 1897. He died intestate but had real estate to the value of £510 and personal estate to the value of £142. The beneficiary was his wife, Mary Ann Moloney. The lawyer involved in drawing up this document was William Ardlie, one of the best-known lawyers in Warrnambool in the 19th and 20th centuries. He commenced his business in the 1860s and continued on until the 1930s when he was well in his eighties, making him at the time the oldest practising lawyer in Australasia. The document seemed to have been passed down by successive lawyers occupying the Kepler Street legal premises and located there in 2014.This document is of some interest as it gives details of the Letters of Administration of John Moloney, a 19th century farmer from Bushfield and it also concerns the lawyer, William Ardlie, a prominent Warrnambool lawyer at that time. It will be useful for researchers.This is a piece of cream-coloured thin parchment paper folded in two. It has handwritten material on two pages (black ink) containing details of the Letters of Administration following the death of John Moloney of Bushfield in 1897. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there is one red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is somewhat dirty but quite legible. The numbers ‘255’ and ‘14’ are written in blue pencil on the back page. In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Estate of John Moloney late of Bushfield in the Colony of Victoria Farmer deceased Intestatejohn moloney, warrnambool, william ardlie, bushfield, tait collection

Shows two bridge crossings over the Diamond Creek in Diamond Street, Eltham. The upper pedestrian crossing provided continual access for foot traffic during times of flood. The railway came to Eltham in 1901, the Eltham Railway Station is visible in the distance as well as a wooden bodied Tait (Red Rattler) First Class train carriage. The Tait train was first introduced in 1910 as a steam locomotive hauled carriage and in 1919 electric motor carriages were introduced however the line to Heidelberg was not electrified till 1921 and to Eltham in April 1923. The Railway General Store on Main Road is visible beyond the station and was built by Luther Haley in 1902. It was the first shop in the present day shopping centre. It was later known as lloyd's stopre (1917-1920) followed by a succession of six other owners until purchased by Eric Staff in 1939. This glass plate negative was used to manufacture postcards (1:1 printing) for commercial sale by the Rose Sterograph Company and its subsidiaries. George Rose founded the Rose Stereograph Company in 1880 and was joined by Herbert (Bert) Cutts in the early 20th Century. The pair formed a lifetime working partnership and strong personal friendship. Assisted by George’s two sons, Herbert George and Walter, and later by Neil Cutts, the Rose Stereograph Company continued its operations for more than 140 years. The company was initially built on stereographs, but as cinema took over and stereographs fell out of fashion, the Rose Stereograph Company developed Australia’s first commercially viable photographic postcard business. Specialising in postcards of iconic historical moments and significant landmarks, The Rose Stereograph Company became a staple of the Australian travel industry.This remarkable collection of glass plate negatives, transparencies, and postcards – arguably Australia’s most significant photography collection outside of public hands – has been passed down through the generations, surviving war, relocation, and the harsh Victorian climate. The historic Rose Stereograph collection is the culmination of George Rose’s dream of capturing and preserving precious moments in time and remains the legacy of the Rose and Cutts families. It is with great sadness that the Cutts family says goodbye to a collection that spans five generations and 140 years. The Cutts family understands that for these historically important pieces to rest with one family is to deny others the pleasure of their custodianship.Glass Plate Negative Size: 9 x 13.9 cmDiamond Creek, Eltham, Vic., The Rose Series P. 4314, Copyrighteltham, postcard, travel, rose stereograph company, glass plate negative, rose series postcard, tait train, eltham railway station, railway store, staffs general store, diamond creek, diamond street bridge, lloyd's general store, railway station, peter and elizabeth pidgeon collection

Copy of Rose Series Postcard P. 4314. (The Rose Stereograph Company) Shows two bridge crossings over the Diamond Creek in Diamond Street, Eltham. The upper pedestrian crossing provided continual access for foot traffic during times of flood. The railway came to Eltham in 1901, the Eltham Railway Station is visible in the distance as well as a wooden bodied Tait (Red Rattler) First Class train carriage. The Tait train was first introduced in 1910 as a steam locomotive hauled carriage and in 1919 electric motor carriages were introduced however the line to Heidelberg was not electrified till 1921 and to Eltham in April 1923. The Railway General Store on Main Road is visible beyond the station and was built by Luther Haley in 1902. It was the first shop in the present day shopping centre. It was later known as lloyd's stopre (1917-1920) followed by a succession of six other owners until purchased by Eric Staff in 1939. George Rose founded the Rose Stereograph Company in 1880 and was joined by Herbert (Bert) Cutts in the early 20th Century. The pair formed a lifetime working partnership and strong personal friendship. Assisted by George’s two sons, Herbert George and Walter, and later by Neil Cutts, the Rose Stereograph Company continued its operations for more than 140 years. The company was initially built on stereographs, but as cinema took over and stereographs fell out of fashion, the Rose Stereograph Company developed Australia’s first commercially viable photographic postcard business. Specialising in postcards of iconic historical moments and significant landmarks, The Rose Stereograph Company became a staple of the Australian travel industry.This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital image 4 x 5 inch B&W Negdiamond creek, diamond street bridge, eltham, eltham railway station, glass plate negative, lloyd's general store, postcard, railway station, railway store, rose series postcard, rose stereograph company, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, staffs general store, tait train, travel

This item is from the ‘Pattison Collection’, a collection of books and records that was originally owned by the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute, which was founded in Warrnambool in 1853. By 1886 the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute (WMI) had grown to have a Library, Museum and Fine Arts Gallery, with a collection of “… choice productions of art, and valuable specimens in almost every branch and many wonderful national curiosities are now to be seen there, including historic relics of the town and district.” It later included a School of Design. Although it was very well patronised, the lack of financial support led the WMI in 1911 to ask the City Council to take it over. In 1935 Ralph Pattison was appointed as City Librarian to establish and organise the Warrnambool Library as it was then called. When the WMI building was pulled down in 1963 a new civic building was erected on the site and the new Warrnambool Library, on behalf of the City Council, took over all the holdings of the WMI. At this time some of the items were separated and identified as the ‘Pattison Collection’, named after Ralph Pattison. Eventually the components of the WMI were distributed from the Warrnambool Library to various places, including the Art Gallery, Historical Society and Flagstaff Hill. Later some were even distributed to other regional branches of Corangamite Regional Library and passed to and fro. It is difficult now to trace just where all of the items have ended up. The books at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village generally display stamps and markings from Pattison as well as a variety of other institutions including the Mechanics’ Institute itself. RALPH ERIC PATTISON Ralph Eric Pattison was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, in 1891. He married Maude Swan from Warrnambool in 1920 and they set up home in Warrnambool. In 1935 Pattison accepted a position as City Librarian for the Warrnambool City Council. His huge challenge was to make a functional library within two rooms of the Mechanics’ Institute. He tirelessly cleaned, cleared and sorted a disarrayed collection of old books, jars of preserved specimens and other items reserved for exhibition in the city’s museum. He developed and updated the library with a wide variety of books for all tastes, including reference books for students; a difficult task to fulfil during the years following the Depression. He converted all of the lower area of the building into a library, reference room and reading room for members and the public. The books were sorted and stored using a cataloguing and card index system that he had developed himself. He also prepared the upper floor of the building and established the Art Gallery and later the Museum, a place to exhibit the many old relics that had been stored for years for this purpose. One of the treasures he found was a beautiful ancient clock, which he repaired, restored and enjoyed using in his office during the years of his service there. Ralph Pattison was described as “a meticulous gentleman whose punctuality, floorless courtesy and distinctive neat dress were hallmarks of his character, and ‘his’ clock controlled his daily routine, and his opening and closing of the library’s large heavy doors to the minute.” Pattison took leave during 1942 to 1945 to serve in the Royal Australian Navy, Volunteer Reserve as Lieutenant. A few years later he converted one of the Museum’s rooms into a Children’s Library, stocking it with suitable books for the younger generation. This was an instant success. In the 1950’s he had the honour of being appointed to the Victorian Library Board and received more inspiration from the monthly conferences in Melbourne. He was sadly retired in 1959 after over 23 years of service, due to the fact that he had gone over the working age of council officers. However he continued to take a very keen interest in the continual development of the Library until his death in 1969. The Pattison Collection, along with other items at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, was originally part of the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s collection. The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Collection is primarily significant in its totality, rather than for the individual objects it contains. Its contents are highly representative of the development of Mechanics' Institute libraries across Australia, particularly Victoria. A diversity of publications and themes has been amassed, and these provide clues to our understanding of the nature of and changes in the reading habits of Victorians from the 1850s to the middle of the 20th century. The collection also highlights the Warrnambool community’s commitment to the Mechanics’ Institute, reading, literacy and learning in the regions, and proves that access to knowledge was not impeded by distance. These items help to provide a more complete picture of our community’s ideals and aspirations. The Warrnambool Mechanics Institute book collection has historical and social significance for its strong association with the Mechanics Institute movement and the important role it played in the intellectual, cultural and social development of people throughout the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. The collection of books is a rare example of an early lending library and its significance is enhanced by the survival of an original collection of many volumes. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s publication collection is of both local and state significance. The Roman History Vol 1 From the Foundation of the City of Rome to the Destruction of the Western Empire Author: Dr. Goldsmith Publisher: Baker and Leigh Date: 1775Label on spine cover with typed text RH 937 GOL Pastedown front endpaper has sticker from Warrnambool Mechanics Institute and Free Library Front loose endpaper has a stamp from Corangamite Regional Library Service Front loose endpaper has a stamp from Warrnambool Public Museum Front loose endpaper has hand writting that reads " Received from Mr. James Tait. June 1898"warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, book, pattison collection, warrnambool library, warrnambool mechanics’ institute, ralph eric pattison, corangamite regional library service, warrnambool city librarian, mechanics’ institute library, victorian library board, warrnambool books and records, warrnambool children’s library, great ocean road, the roman history vol 1, dr. goldsmith

John Lundy-Clarke grew up in the Kalorama/Mt Dandenong area and later in life (1972-74) began to write a comprehensive history of the area working from an original settlement map in an effort to cover all areas. This photograph c1905 is looking up from George Barber's house 'Forest Edge' on Barbers Road. 'Forest Edge' was built c1898 and was the home of George Barber and his wife Sarah Ann (nee Richardson). The buildings in the foreground are the stables and hayshed.Black and white photograph showing two small buildings in the foreground with cleared hills behind. Handwritten decription on back by John Lundy-ClarkeA 1905 view of the Kalorama Valley towards the Gap. Barbers stables in foreground with hayshed on left. Tait’s house in centre of picture with Logans in the same fold above the hayshed. “Kalorama” is centre of Gap with Paynter’s “Iona” on its left with stables to its left. It was from one of these trees on the top left that the runaway log was cut that leaped over Barbers Road (at the top edge of the cleared land) then over Logan’s house in one bound in 1930.george barber, sarah ann barber, john lundy-clarke, forest edge

electric street railway, public transport, st kilda, brighton, mayor, councillors, thomas bent, premier, opening, celebration, cr. t. wilson, cr. h.b. gibbs, hon. d.e. mcbryde, mr goddard, mr j.n. browne, town clerk, mr bradford, electrical engineer, mr tait, railways commissioner, hon. j.c. campbell, mr rees, mr r.g. mccutcheon, sepia, photograph, tram

Tait collection: item 60 of 62 This is a document giving George Weeks, a sawmiller from Invercargill in New Zealand, an order of discharge from his debts in 1883. In the Southland Times of March 1876 there is a notice of a meeting of creditors of George Weeks of Invercargill in the matter of his insolvency. It is not clear whether the document we have concerns that same insolvency or a further one. If it is the same one then it took seven years for George Weeks to gain his legal discharge from debt. It is not known how this document came to be in Warrnambool but it is assumed that it was in the possession of a Warrnambool lawyer, probably Ernest Chambers, who had legal offices in Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. It has been passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal offices in Kepler street, Warrnambool and was located in this building in 2014. This document has no known relevance to Warrnambool except that it was in the possession of a 19th century Warrnambool lawyer. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two, with handwritten material in brown/black ink on two of the pages. The material gives details of the court order of discharge from debt of George Weeks, a sawmiller from Invercargill, New Zealand. There are red lines ruled at the edges of one of the pages. There is a red stamp of the District Court of Western Otago. The writing is fading but legible. In the District Court of Western Otago Holden at Invercargill In the matter of the Debtors and Creditors Act 1876 and the several acts amending the same and in the matter of George Weeks of Invercargill Sawmiller a debtorgeorge weeks, invercargill new zealand, tait collection

Tait collection: item 61 of 62 This document contains details on the Release Debenture drawn up between Emile Manton and other members of her family and Herbert Frederick Manton in 1889. The mother, Caroline Manton, died in 1889 and one of the executors of her will also died the same year. The document released the remaining executor, Herbert Frederick Manton, from his legal duties as executor and finalized his carrying out of the provisions of Caroline Manton’s will. The document was drawn up by the legal firm of Oldham and Chambers in Melbourne and was in the possession of Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The document passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal offices in Kepler Street, Warrnambool and it was located in this building in 2014. The document is of interest only in that it was drawn up by Ernest Chambers who later had a legal practice in Warrnambool. This is a document consisting of four white pages, bound with black cord and containing handwritten material (black ink) on seven sides of the pages. The document gives details of the Release Debenture drawn up by members of the Manton family following the death of Caroline Manton of South Yarra and the provisions of her will made in 1887. The document includes two pages of the Executors Accounts and the disbursements made to beneficiaries of the will. There are four green duty stamps pasted on to one of these pages. The signature of seven of the Manton family members have small red seals attached to each signature. The document is somewhat grubby around the page edges. manton family, ernest chambers, tait collection

Tait collection: item 26 of 62 This is a 1905 document containing information on the Will and Probate of Elizabeth Bright, a widow from Ellerslie in Victoria. She died in April 1905 and left real estate to the value of £540 and personal estate to the value of £412. The main beneficiary was her daughter-in-law, Ann Gibson, the wife of William Gibson, a dairyman from Ellerslie. No other information has been found on Elizabeth Bright. The lawyer concerned with the document was Edward Backhouse of Terang. He came to Victoria with his family in 1871 and was educated at Wesley College and Melbourne University. He was the founder and Head Teacher of the Alma Road Grammar School in St. Kilda and later was the Head Teacher of the St. Kilda Grammar School. He also was the Classics teacher at Geelong Grammar School. He practised law at Terang and Yea. This document is of some interest as it gives details on the Will and Probate of Elizabeth Bright who lived at Ellerslie, an area with some associations with Warrnambool at the time. This is white sheet of paper folded in two with hand written material on the four sides detailing the Will and Probate of Elizabeth Bright of Ellerslie, 1905. The pages have printed red lines on three sides. The document has one hand-drawn stamp of the Colonial Bank of Australia of Terang. The written material is legible. In the Supreme Court of Victoria; In the Probate Jurisdiction; In the Will of Elizabeth Bright late of Ellerslie in the State of Victoria Widow deceased.elizabeth bright, edward backhouse, warrnambool, ellerslie, tait collection

Tait collection: item 29 of 62 This document contains information on the Will and Letters of Administration of James Jones, a gardener from Warrnambool. The document indicates that he died intestate in August 1896 at the age of 57 but details of a will are included in the document. The fact that this document was drawn up 14 years after his death indicates that there was a problem with the will. James Jones left real estate to the value of £80 and personal estate to the value of £10. The sole beneficiary was his widow, Mary Ann Jones. No other information has been found on James Jones. No Warrnambool lawyer is mentioned in this document but it was located at the former legal premises in Kepler Street of Mackay Taylor and passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society in 2014. It is presumed that it had been passed down to successive lawyers occupying the same building since 1910. This document is of interest because it contains information on the Will and Letters of Administration of a Warrnambool resident, James Jones. It will be useful for research.This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper (1910) folded in two with handwritten material on three sides. The first page has black printed material in script with the information filled in in black ink. It contains the information on the Will and Letters of Administration of James Jones, a gardener from Warrnambool. The paper is ruled on one side with black lines. The seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon. One page is very stained. In the Supreme Court of Victoria; In the Probate Jurisdiction; In the Will and Estate of James Jones late of Warrnambool in Victoria Gardener deceasedjames jones, warrnambool, tait collection

Tait collection: item 31 of 62 This document contains details of the Will and Probate of Frederick John Jones, a farmer of Nirranda who died in October 1910. He left real estate to the value of £200 and personal estate to the value of £43. The beneficiaries were his daughter Harriet Jones, his son Frederick Augustus Jones and his grandson, Claude Eagle. No other information has been found on Frederick Jones, Senior. This document was in the possession of Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. It was then passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street and located in 2014 in the same building, the former offices of Mackay Taylor. It was then passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment folded in two containing handwritten material on the Probate of Frederick Jones of Nirranda, 1911. Two of the pages have ruled black lines. The seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there are four red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is somewhat discoloured.In the Supreme Court of Victoria in the Probate Jurisdiction in the Will of Frederick John Jones late of Nirranda in the County of Heytesbury in the State of Victoria farmer deceased frederick jones, ernest chambers, warrnambool, tait collection

Tait collection: item 35 of 62 This is a document giving details of the Letters of Administration following the death of Alexander Gibson McPherson, a farmer of Rochester, Victoria, in December 1883. He died intestate and left an estate worth £215. The beneficiary was his sister, Mary Wright of Somerton. No other details are available on Alexander McPherson. The lawyer in the case was Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Port Fairy, Warrnambool and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This document was in his possession at his Warrnambool office and passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street. The document was found in the same building, the former premises of the legal firm, Mackay Taylor, where it was located in 2014 and handed over to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society.This document is only of interest as being originally in the possession of Ernest Chambers, a lawyer who was in Warrnambool for several years at the end of the 19th century. No connection between Warrnambool and Alexander McPherson has been found. This is a cream-coloured sheet of parchment paper, folded twice. It contains hand written material in brown ink giving details of the Letters of Administration following the death of Alexander McPherson of Rochester in 1883. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and it has ,a black stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court of Victoria. One page has been ruled at the edges with brown lines. The writing is somewhat faded but the document is legible. In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria in its probate jurisdiction in the Estate of Alexander Gibson McPherson late of Rochester in the Colony of Victoria Farmer a bachelor deceasedalexander mcpherson, ernest chambers, warrnambool, tait collection

Tait collection: item 41 of 62 This document gives the details of the Will and Probate of Henry Phillips who died in Warrnambool in 1895 at the age of 55. He came to Australia from England in 1861 and established a hay and corn store in Liebig Street, Warrnambool. He was a prominent member of the Congregational Church and lived at ‘Ilfracombe’ in Lava Street. He and his wife Emma had eight children, two of whom had businesses in Warrnambool. Henry Phillips left personal estate to the value of £521 and the beneficiaries were his wife, Emma and their children. This document came into the possession of a Warrnambool lawyer, Ernest Chambers and passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street. The document was located in this building in 2014 in the former premises of the law firm of Mackay Taylor. This document is of considerable importance as it contains details of the Will and Probate of Henry Phillips. He was a prominent businessman in Warrnambool in the 19th century. The document will be useful to researchers. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two and containing the Will and Probate details of Henry Phillips, a Warrnambool hay and corn merchant who died in 1895. The document has handwritten material (black ink) on three sides of the paper. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there is one red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court on the second page. The handwriting is fading in some places but is still legible. In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Henry Phillips late of Warrnambool in the Colony of Victoria Hay and Corn Merchant deceasedhenry phillips, walter briggs and son, tait collection, ernest chambers

The 2/8th Armoured Regiment was raised in June 1941 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel W G Hopkins with officers and men selected from the wider AIF in Victoria. The regiment trained in newly arrived M3 General Grant tanks at Puckapunyal before moving north to Singleton, then the Wee Waa plains. The regiment sailed for New Guinea in April 1943 and carried out mobile defence to airfields at Port Moresby, Milne Bay, Dobadura and Popondetta. The regiment returned to Australia in February 1944 and disbanded as an armoured regiment and retrained as Nos 41, 42 and 43 Landing Craft Companies. They returned to the South West pacific serving at Bougainville, Balikpapan, Lae and Wewak.Historically significant image of officers of armoured regiment drawn from Victoria in early years of WWII, but suffers from poor quality reproduction.Framed photocopied photograph, possibly taken from a newspaper, of 26 Officers of 2/8th Armoured Regiment AIF. Names are listed above and below the image.Above photo:"List of names: Lieutenants: - Bazeley,MM, Merrett, Gait, White, Menzies, Leslie, Miller, Jackson" and below photo:- "Captain Ahou, Lieutenants Charley, Tait, Captains McCallum, Newnam, Trickey, MaCourt MM, Moreton, Callaway, Wilson, Patterson Lieutenants Watson, Taylor, Maxwell [A Squadron], Major Archer [B Squadron], Lieutenant Colonel Miller MC [Commanding Officer], Major Broadbent [C Squadron] Major Ryan [Headquarter squadron], A, B, CO, C , HQ"2/8th armoured regiment

Tait collection: item 27 of 62. This document contains details of the Will of William Stacey Spencer, formerly of Stanstead, Mount Fitchet but late of Birchanger, Essex, England. He was a corn merchant and malster and died in England in October 1897. He left an estate with a gross value of £4973, with the beneficiaries being his wife and children. Three codicils were added to the will, one being caused by the death of an executor, William Spencer’s brother. The English lawyers involved in drawing up this will were Richardson, Foxwell and Hart of Much Hadham, England. As this document is an Exemplification of the Will and was drawn up in the colony of Victoria it is presumed that one or more of the beneficiaries was a resident in Victoria and possibly in the Warrnambool district. The Warrnambool lawyers, Henry Parrington and Con O’Mahony have their names in the document. The document has been, with others, passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street, Warrnambool and located in that building in 2014. Unless some local connection can be found to William Spencer, this document is of interest only in that it was drawn up by local Warrnambool lawyers in 1899.This is a cream-coloured document consisting of five double parchment pages bound together with green cord and including a folded-over inset piece of paper on the front page. Nine of the pages have ruled black lines on the edges and there is handwritten material in black ink on nine pages. The document gives details of the will and codicils of William Spencer of Essex, England who died in1897. The document has the seal of Her Majesty’s High Court of Justice, Probate Division, attached with white binding and a stamp for three pounds attached with a metal insert. The document is somewhat grubby but is legible.In Her Majesty's High Court of Justice (Probate Division), Principal Registry Exemplification of Will of Mr William Stacey Spencer deceased Dated 15 August 1899william spencer, con o'mahony, henry parrington, tait collection, william stacey spencer